The present invention relates to apparatus for filling containers with flowable materials, and more particularly to improvements in apparatus for introducing metered quantities of flowable materials into successive containers. Still more particularly, the invention relates to improvements in apparatus for introducing metered quantities of flowable materials (e.g., foodstuffs) into containers which are formed immediately ahead of the filling station and are sealed immediately downstream of such station.
It is already known to install one or more metering devices at a level above the path of movement of successive empty containers which are to receive metered quantities of flowable material during a period of dwell at the filling station below the metering device or devices. It is also known to use in such apparatus one or more receptacles which are installed between the metering device or devices and the container or containers therebelow and serve as a means for guiding the material into empty containers. Reference may be had to German Auslegeschrift No. 1,137,670 which discloses an apparatus for filling containers with a pulverulent granular material. The receptacles which are disclosed in this publication receive flowable material from several weighing devices by way of funnels and direct the material into containers which are in constant motion. Therefore, the receptacles must share the movements of containers which advance past the filling station and must perform return strokes in order to move into positions of register with the next-following containers.
A drawback of the just described conventional filling apparatus is that the distance along which the flowable material descends by gravity is considerable so that such apparatus cannot properly fill containers with brittle or other readily breakable or deformable materials, such as bakery products. Another drawback of the just described conventional apparatus is that the receptacle or receptacles must be moved by complex mechanisms which cause the receptacle to perform forward strokes during admission of flowable materials into moving containers and rapid return strokes during the intervals following admission of flowable materials into containers.